Monday, 21 March 2016

FIRST STEPS INTO A CONVERSATION

ozalí na ndáko ? - have you got a house?
ozalí na likambo ? -
have you got a problem?

Please notice that it is correct in Lingala to omit “moko”(meaning “a”
or “an”) in some cases.

Nalingí…I want or I would like …

nalingí sukáli
- I want sugar / I would like (to have some)
sugar
nalingí kolía - I
want to eat / I would like to eat

nalingí kobina -
I want
to dance/ I would like to dance

nalingí kosolola na yó - I want
to talk to you / I would like to talk
to
you

10 verbs to learn:

kozala; kozala na: to be; to have, to be with
koloba: to speak
kotánga: to read
kokoma: to write
koyékola: to study, to learn
kotámbola: to walk, to have a walk
kosolola: to have a chat
koseka: to laugh
kokende: to go
koya: to arrive

GREETING AND TAKING LEAVE OF SOMEBODY

How are you? - ozalí ndéngé níni?/ozá
ndéngé níni?

You may also hear or say “ndéngé níni?”, which means how are you? How is it? Or
how are things?
Ndakisa (Example):
“Ndéngé níni, moningá nangáí?
One possible answer:
Nazalí malámu (nazá malámu) – I am fine.
Furthermore, you can hear people say ‘ozalí malámu?’ or ‘ozá malámu?’, meaning
are you ok?
Another usual expression is ‘sango níni?’, which means what is new?